Ten Year Reunion
by Haitus80
Summary: Carol is having second thoughts about attending her ten year high school reunion. She had lost touch with everyone, had just gone through a nasty divorce and didn't like the idea of showing up alone. The only thing driving her to go through with it is the off chance that she'll run into Daryl Dixon. She never expected an opportunity to infuriate her ex, and rekindle an old flame.
1. Chapter 1

**This is a short prompt from a great lady that I should have posted a week ago but I'm a flake. It's four chapters, all finished so I can update them quick. Hope you enjoy, thanks for reading!**

 **Chapter One**

She had already decided that she wasn't going to go to the stupid reunion. She didn't have anything to wear, it wasn't like she could brag about her success and she knew that she would be one of the few there without a spouse or at least a damn date.

It would be better to just sit at home, lick her wounds and maybe binge on some Ben and Jerry's.

But then Ed would know that she was missing her ten year high school reunion just because he was there. Every since the divorce had been finalized he had shown up wherever she was, trying his damnedest to talk her into coming back to him, claiming to be a changed man and apologizing for everything he had put her through during their eight year marriage, three of those years they had been legally separated while he fought the divorce tooth and nail.

Well to hell with him.

It was her reunion too, right? It wasn't like she could spend the rest of her life hiding from him, unless she had decided to move to a different state and start over completely, which she couldn't afford to do.

No, she would dress up, put on a smile and she would go to this reunion, Ed be damned. It would be nice to get out of the house and visit with old friends and maybe, just maybe, she would run into the one person that she desperately wanted to see, the one person she refused to even hope would even remember her.

Four hours later, after going out to buy a dress and shoes for the occasion, and then stopping to get her hair done, just because it needed it, not because she had any intentions of impressing anyone, she finally pulled up at the gas station just a few blocks from the Hotel where their reunion was being held.

Of course her car would start acting up just a few minutes before she was suppose to be somewhere. The steam that rolled from the hood had her scowling and she felt ridiculous standing there in a brand new dress with fancy new shoes, getting ready to beg the attendant not to have her car towed. Now she wasn't only showing up to this thing stag, she would be walking the last few blocks. This was just perfect.

Shouldering her bag she headed inside, the cool interior was a relief from the oppressive Georgia heat and the cool air felt good on her bare back. She almost felt like calling a tow truck, tucking her tail between her legs and going back home. It wasn't like she would be missing the reunion because of cowardice. It was because she ran into car trouble, which was a suitable excuse if anyone should ask.

She shook her head, muttering to herself as she approached the counter, determined not to let her ex husband ruin this for her, like he had so many other things. Like her hopes and dreams and youth.

Before she could make it to the counter she stopped in her tracks, swallowing hard and feeling her eyes widen. There, standing in front of a rack of beef jerky, was the one man that she had actually been hoping to see tonight, even though she had doubted that she would. Daryl Dixon hadn't changed a whole lot since the last time she had seen him. His body was long and lean, hard muscled and well defined. She could tell even though he was well covered in a pair of black jeans and a simple button down dress shirt. His black work boots were scuffed and dirty and his eyes were hidden behind a pair of sunglasses. His overgrown hair obscured part of his face but still she recognized him instantly.

Her heart skipped a few beats and she started feeling a little light headed before realizing she was holding her breath. He snatched up a bag and was about to turn towards the register when he must have caught sight of her standing there staring at him. He pulled the glasses off, gave her a slow once over and then, to her relief, he grinned.

"Didn't expect you to come," he said, tucking the sunglasses into the neck of his shirt.

She cleared her throat and smiled, willing her stomach to stop flipping over the sight of him. "I wasn't going to. Last minute change of heart."

He nodded. "Same."

She tried to ignore the fact that even after all these years, she was obviously still not over her first stupid crush. In school he had ran with a different crowd but they had still managed to become friends. Ed had hated him and the feelings had been mutual and even though she had been infatuated with the mystery that was Daryl Dixon, he had never given her the slightest hint that he felt even a fraction of the same attraction towards her. So she had dated Ed and her friendship with Daryl had dissolved. But she still thought of him often. She had never forgotten the feelings she had had for him back then and had decided long ago that she never would.

"Well," she said, trying hard not to stare at him, "I'm glad you changed your mind. It's nice seeing a friendly face."

He snorted at that and the sound had memories stirring in her mind, causing her to grin at him. She wasn't delusional enough to hope that he was still single. She was sure he had a wife or girlfriend waiting for him in his car.

"Heard you married Ed," he said, some of the lightness leaving his voice.

She grimaced and she noticed his brows raise at the look on her face. "I did. The divorce was a little ugly but not near as bad as the marriage had been."

"Told you so," he muttered, pushing his hair out of his face with one hand and eyeing her.

She sighed heavily. "That you did. But that's the past. What about you? You finally settle down, make an honest man of yourself?" she was surprised this was so easy. She hadn't seen him in ten years. hadn't spoken to him in longer than that.

This had him grinning again and she could get used to the sight of it. She needed to be careful. "Oh yeah. White picket fence, nine to five job with good benefits, just paid off the mini van. I need it, haulin' around six kids and a pregnant woman. Life is good."

Her stomach hit the floor. "Wow," she muttered. "That's really nice, Daryl. I'm happy for you." Even she could detect the false cheer.

He shook his head and gave her a pitying look. "I swear, you're as gullible as you were in school. I was fuckin' with you, Carol."

"Oh," she said, a little too loudly. "Well... how was I suppose to know?" she sounded defensive but she was actually relieved.

He shrugged. "No wife, no kids, and I sure as fuck don't drive no mini van. I did score a decent job though. Dale got in touch with me a few weeks ago and now I'm about to start at the garage. I'm gonna head out to my grandparent's old place off Rout 19 tomorrow and see what needs to be done to make it livable. Till then I got a room at the Hotel they booked for this little shin-dig."

She couldn't hide her surprise. "You moved back?"

He nodded. "Yep. And you know Dale's gossipin' ass ain't gonna not tell me everything that happened since I took off with Merle. How else you think I got the scoop on you and that dipshit that roped you in?"

She rolled her eyes. "How is your brother?"

He shook his head and started towards the counter. "Prison. He'll be out around this time next year." He nodded to the guy behind the counter as the man handed him his change. "What about you?"

She looked down at her watch and frowned. "I got the house in the settlement. I live on the outskirts of town but not near as far as you. No kids." Even though she had always wanted them, she didn't want to bring a child into such a volatile home. She looked up at the clerk and smiled. "I don't drive a mini van either, but the piece of crap car I own literally just broke down."

Daryl glanced out the window and then turned to the clerk himself. "You mind if it stays parked here for a bit?"

The guy shrugged and then Daryl nodded towards the doors. "You wanna lift?"

She nodded, relieved that he had offered, relieved that she wouldn't have to walk in alone, relieved he was back... this was all turning out a lot better than she had ever expected it to.

~H~

He was trying to tell himself that he wasn't all that excited to see her. He tried to tell himself that her confirming that she was indeed divorced hadn't hiked his pulse up a bit. He tried to tell himself that he wasn't some stupid high school kid anymore and his infatuation with her was in the past.

He was a really bad liar.

They both made a beeline for the bar at the back of the room, managing to dodge their old classmates easily because they had both put their heads down. Once they made it he ordered two beers without even asking her what she wanted. He wasn't usually nervous, not like this, and he was trying hard to play it cool, but it just wasn't easy.

Neither one of them sat down at the stools and they both turned to survey the crowd once the bartender rushed off to serve some of the other guests. He slid his eyes towards her and caught her staring.

Good sign.

"Is he here?" he asked absently, picking at the label on his bottle as his eyes scanned the growing crowd.

She looked up, took a long pull from her bottle and then shrugged lightly. "No idea. Probably, especially if he thinks I'll be here. He is in complete denial and assumes I'm going to just forgive him and things can go back to the way they were." She scoffed and the look in her eyes was so bitter it surprised him. "Fat chance."

Worry had his stomach turning a little. It didn't really matter how long it had been since he had seen her, he'd always care about her. Merle called her 'the one that got away' for a reason and he hadn't ever really been able to shake the memory of her. Hell, the only reason he had come here in the first place was to see her. "What did he do that pissed you off so bad that you divorced him?"

She reached up, fingering the thin gold chain around her neck. "The final straw? He had been having an affair."

He frowned. "What?"

She nodded and then she blushed, clearly embarrassed. "Yeah, well, we didn't have the greatest marriage anyway. We didn't really get along. A few times it even got physical. He was a mean man once we got married and why the hell I stayed with him, I'll never know. But I did. I guess I didn't want to admit defeat. When I caught him in another woman's bed, that was just the slap in the face I needed."

He watched her, not saying a word until she finally looked up and met his eyes. "His loss. I never liked that son of a bitch."

She smiled at that. "Yeah, I know. He never liked you either."

"Well, that stings, Carol," he muttered, finishing off his beer and sitting it down on the bar. "I mean it. I always assumed the guy thought I hung the moon."

She laughed, which was what he was going for. Talking about her marriage had put a shadow in her eyes that he didn't really care for. This was going to be a good night. At least it could be if she was open to leaving her troubles at the door. She sat her bottle down and leaned against the bar, regarding him with a level look. "I hope we can hang out sometime, now that you're back in town."

He held her gaze, forcing that annoying ass nervousness to the back of his mind and nodded. This was not the time to tuck tail and run from her. He'd done that a long time ago and had been regretting it ever since. "You askin' me out?"

She grinned, ducking her head before another laugh escaped her. "You've changed, Dixon."

He chewed the inside of his lip and watched her. "You ain't."

She looked up then. "Haven't I?"

He shook his head. "Nah. I expected you to, especially after Dale filled in the blanks. But it don't seem you have at all."

"How is that?"

"You still got shitty taste in men," he nodded as the bartender slid another beer his way and before he could say anything else he busied his lips with the bottle.

She was about to say something but then her mouth closed, her lips going flat and her eyes hardening. "Damn it," she hissed, half turning into him, obviously closer than she thought he was and as her breast slid against his arm he felt heat hit his veins like he was some sort of junkie and her body was a drug.

He looked up and realized what had her reacting this way. Ed hadn't aged as well as she had. He looked as though it should have been their twenty year reunion instead of their tenth. Ed spotted him and his eyes narrowed, shifting between him and Carol suspiciously. Carol had turned, facing the bar and Daryl glanced over at her, studied the elegant line of her spine, noting how soft the skin looked there. His eyes kept moving, roaming over the swell of her ass that the dress showed off perfectly. He looked up at Ed from under his brow and winked before grinning, feeling more like Merle than himself at the moment.

Ed looked ready to blow a fuse, his face reddening. "Dixon," he spat, like the name tasted foil on in his mouth.

"Asshole," Daryl greeted, sounding bored.

"What the hell do you think you're doing?" Ed asked angrily.

He felt Carol stiffen next to him but he kept playing it cool. He glanced at her ass again and took a long drink before answering. "Enjoying the view. What the hell do you think you're doing?" he raised a brow.

Ed's jaw clenched so hard Daryl was surprised he hadn't heard teeth shattering. Finally Carol turned to face her ex husband, her face tense but determined.

"What do you want, Ed?" she asked.

"I thought you and I could talk. I didn't realize that you came here with someone," he said, clearly trying hard to reign in his anger, but Daryl saw right through it.

"Well, I clearly did. Now, if you'll excuse us," she bit out, grabbing Daryl's hand and nearly pulling him towards the crowd.

They weaved their way through the throngs of people, the sounds of laughter and excited conversation nearly drowning out the music. He let her lead the way and she didn't stop until they were near the exit doors. She dropped his hand and looked up at him, her eyes wide and apologetic.

"I'm sorry, it was really good seeing you but I can't do this. I can't stand that man and I can't stand the thought of him lurking around me all night. I think I'm just gonna call a cab and go home."

He scowled, narrowing his eyes on her. "Didn't peg you for a coward," he said, pushing her and knowing it but not caring. He wanted her here. This was the whole fucking reason he had come down from his room in the first place.

"Dixon!"

They both turned at the sound of a voice calling his name and he sighed when he spotted Shane Walsh waving at him from the middle of the room. He was standing with a few other guys he recognized.

He looked down and she reached into her bag, pulling out a pen and grabbing his hand. "I'll give you my number and you can call me any time you-" Her voice trailed off as he pulled his hand away from her and shook his head.

Wordlessly he grabbed the pen, stuck it into her open bag and then took her hand, pulling her much like she had him as she escaped from Ed.

"What are you doing?" she asked as she hurried to keep up with his longer strides.

"I'm gonna make Ed miserable and I'm gonna try to show you a good time. Is that Andrea wavin' at you?" he asked, hoping she didn't pull away and tell him he was a fucking asshole.

She tightened her grip on his hand and gave him a severe look. "You better make this worth my time, Daryl," she muttered.

He smiled. "I'll do what I can."


	2. Chapter 2

**I am so glad that you guys like this one so far. Hopefully you enjoy the rest. Thanks for the love and thanks for checking this story out.**

 **Chapter Two**

She was surprised at this take charge attitude of his. Back in school he had been quiet, a loner, someone that preferred the fringes. He hadn't had a whole lot of friends back then and she realized that maybe he should have been bitter towards her for how their friendship had fizzled out. But it hadn't been easy being his friend when she had wanted more than that and it hadn't been easy dealing with Ed any time the topic of Daryl came up.

"I called it. I called it way back in school. I knew the two of you would end up together," Andrea beamed, gesturing towards the small group of men that were standing with Daryl.

Carol followed her gaze and Daryl decided to look up at that moment, the corner of his mouth turning up when he caught her looking at him. She faced her old friend and shook her head. "We aren't together, actually. I haven't seen him since we graduated. I ran into him at the gas station before getting here."

"Well," she grinned, tossing her blond waves over her shoulder. "It sure doesn't look that way."

"No it doesn't," an angry familiar voice snapped.

The two women looked over and Carol couldn't hide the scowl as she realized how close Ed was standing to them.

Andrea made a face and then she glared. She had never liked Ed and had even refused to go to Carol's wedding. It was one of the reasons she had stopped talking to her. The more she thought about it the more she realized that he had managed to ruin every meaningful friendship she had. Well, maybe he hadn't been the one to ruin them, since she was the one to make those final decisions, but his attitude had been the reason none of her friends wanted to stick around.

"How have you been, Ed?" Andrea asked, her tone biting.

Ed shrugged. "I've been just fine. I'll be even better once my wife comes to her senses," he said in a scathing tone of his own.

Carol wanted to throw her glass in his face but before she could, or even say anything to him at all she felt a hand land at her waist and the clean earthy scent that filled her nose told her that Daryl was behind her. He had wondered over to assess the situation.

"You want another drink?" he asked, his lips so close to her ear that she shivered.

Ed was seething and she smiled, actually leaning back slightly until she could feel the warmth from his chest on the bare skin of her back. His fingers tightened slightly and Ed's jaw clenched.

"You trying to get me drunk?" she asked, meeting Daryl's eyes from over her shoulder.

The look he gave her was smoldering and far more intimate than she had expected and suddenly, she forgot that they were in a room teaming with people, forgot that her ex husband was standing just a few feet away.

"Might be ,even though we both know I wouldn't have to," he said, no sign of humor in his voice. He moved his hand, taking her glass from her and stepped away. Where his hand had lingered felt shockingly warm.

She watched him walk away, maneuvering around the people more gracefully than he had any right to.

"You're making a damn fool of yourself!" Ed snapped, taking a dangerous step towards her.

"Actually, you are," Carol snapped right back, coming to her senses. "We were married for five years before I left you and I tried everything in my power to make it work and you blew it! Not me! I don't want you, I haven't wanted you for longer than I can even remember and your pathetic attempts at a reconciliation are making me sick. Leave me alone!"

Everyone within a ten foot radius of them had grown quiet and she realized that she hadn't bothered trying to keep her voice down. A familiar face, creased with worry came into view and if it was under any other circumstances she would have smiled. Rick Grimes had been one of her best friends and she hadn't even thought of him in ages.

"Ed, why don't you go ahead and give Carol here some space," he said, his eyes hardening on the other man. "She's here with Dixon anyway. She isn't your date."

Carol raised her chin, challenging Ed to argue but she knew he wouldn't. Rick was a cop and Ed wasn't that stupid. He shot her one last hateful look and then stormed away. She knew he wouldn't go far. She didn't understand it. He had treated her horribly for years, had humiliated her by sleeping around and now he was acting as though losing her was unimaginable.

Andrea touched her arm, getting her attention. "That was amazing," she said with that easy smile of hers.

Carol shook her head. "I just want him to go away. The man is like a parasite!" She looked up at Rick and smiled. "Thanks for that. It's good to see you," she said just as his arms went around her. She hugged him hard. "How have you been?"

He shrugged. "Can't complain. Lori's around here somewhere."

Shane grinned. "Can't miss her. She's as big as a house."

Carol gaped at him. "Shane Walsh! That's a horrible thing to say about a woman!" She remembered Lori from school even though the two of them hadn't been very close. Lori had always been super model slim so imagining her getting fat wasn't easy.

Rick chuckled. "Actually, he's right. She's eight months pregnant."

"All belly," Andrea said with a grin.

Carol beamed. "That's wonderful, Rick! Congratulations."

"Who are we congratulating?" Daryl asked, stepping around Shane and handing Carol another glass of wine.

Carol nodded towards Rick and Daryl gave the man a knowing look. How in the world did he know more about their old friends than she did when she was the one that still lived in the same town?

"Right," Daryl said tipping his beer towards the man.

Andrea waved towards the other end of the room. "Let's get a table and we can catch up, huh? These damn heels are killing me."

The small group agreed and made their way towards the tables. Carol's heart sank when she realized that Lori, who was easily recognizable, was sitting at a table already, speaking to Philip and, who she assumed was Milton. Milton was sitting next to Ed.

"Damn it," she grumbled, her steps faltering.

Daryl glanced over at her at the same time Rick did. Rick looked apologetic. "We can catch up later if you'd like. I don't blame you for not wanting to sit there but if I ditch her, she might castrate me. Hormones."

Daryl shook his head. "Fuck that asshole. The tables are big enough. You ain't gotta find somewhere else to sit just cause he's gotta follow Blake around all night. It ain't your damn fault that nobody else likes him."

She swallowed hard and nodded. "You're right."

His grinned. "You've gotten smarter over the years. I've always been right."

She laughed at that and didn't object when he took her hand and pulled her the rest of the way towards the table.

"By the way, that was a nice show you put on back there," he said, moving his head much closer to hers so she could hear him.

She scoffed. "I feel like an idiot. I didn't realize I was nearly shouting at him. He brings out the worst in me, that's for sure."

He sat down next to Shane and she took the seat beside him, realizing too late that this put her right across the table from Ed. She almost got back up, unable to stomach the thought of him staring at her all night but she grew still when Daryl's hand landed on her thigh, holding her in place. Her eyes went wide and she turned her head slowly. He was staring at her with an intense look in his eyes.

"Can't run from it forever," he said and she wasn't sure what he was even talking about.

"What?" she breathed as his fingers ran from her thigh to her knee in a feather light caress before disappearing.

He gestured towards Ed without looking at him. "Just act like he ain't there. And if you can't do that then you got my permission to do whatever you gotta do to piss him off."

She ignored the blush and laughed off his blatant advance. "Really? What do you want me to do, Dixon? Crawl into your lap right here at the table?"

He shrugged and tapped his blunt nails against the linen clad table top. "Whatever makes you feel better."

~H~

He needed to slow down before he freaked her out but he had had maybe one too many beers and his inhibitions were lower than they usually were. And they had been pretty damn low since the moment he had seen her in that damn gas station. But he wasn't getting any younger, and he wasn't getting any closer to getting over her, and it was do or die. He needed to see if this could come of anything. If they gave it a shot and failed, then and only then could he move past it. It was the unknown that had kept him just out of reach of anyone else. The not knowing. He had to know.

She was leaned over slightly, her elbow resting on the table and her body turned towards his as she listened to a story that Shane was telling. Other people had shown up so the table was full and everyone seemed to be engrossed in there own little worlds, but his focus couldn't seem to stray from Carol.

Her cheeks were flushed, probably from the wine. Small tendrils of hair framed her face and brushed the nape of her neck. Her eyes were bright and for the moment, she seemed to have forgotten that her ex was sitting across from them, occasionally glaring in their direction when he thought no one was paying attention.

Shane had just finished telling a story about something that had happened to him and Rick on a call a few months ago. It must have been funny, since Carol laughed loudly, covering her mouth with her hand. The rest of the table were joining in on the laughter but he had no idea what Shane had said so all he could do was smile indulgently when she met his eyes.

From the corner of his eye he could see Ed glaring at them but he hadn't expected the man to say anything to him.

"So, Dixon, what have you been up to the last few years? Still a grease monkey or did you decide to go into business with your brother?" Ed asked with a wicked grin.

The smile on Carol's face turned into a look of disgust but Daryl just stared at Ed. "What about you? You still sellin' used cars?" he asked.

Ed shrugged. "I manage the whole lot, I think I do a little more than just sell cars."

Andrea cleared her throat. "Go ahead and answer the man's question, Daryl. I'm sure he's really interested in the fact that you just bought Dale's whole outfit. That means, what? You now own two garages and employ twenty men?"

Daryl's gaze didn't leave Ed's because the disbelieving look on the other man's face was just too fucking good to miss. Instead he shrugged. "I guess you're right. Too bad I'm not well off enough to manage somebody elses lot, huh?" he smiled.

Ed turned the strangest shade of purple and finally looked away as the others started laughing.

"Why didn't you tell me you bought Dale out!" Carol asked, staring at him with wide eyes.

"Cause it wouldn't have mattered," he stated flatly, his gaze flicking back to hers. And it was the truth. She didn't care about shit like that and he knew it, because, deep down, he knew that it didn't matter that so many years had gone by. He knew her. He'd always know her.

"Why don't the two of you just get a room already?" Andrea asked with a grin. "Or you can use mine. I think half of us reserved rooms, knowing we'd all end up drunk if we were left to our own devices."

Daryl met Ed's eyes again. "Already got my own, thanks. Matter of fact, I'm beat, folks." He stood up, his heart raging in his chest and all the liquid courage he had consumed tonight wasn't really working anymore, but he had to make the offer. If she turned him down in front of everyone he'd be the laughing stock of the whole god forsaken town, but he couldn't walk away. "You comin'?" he asked, meeting Carol's eyes.

Her lips parted, her eyes widening in surprise at the bold question, color rising in her cheeks. A few beats of silence had his palms sweating but finally she took his offered hand and stood up. He kept his cool, not letting the relief he felt show on his face.

"Carol." They both turned to look down at Ed who was fuming at them from across the table, what little composure he had managed to retain crumbling at the realization that she was leaving and knowing what was going to happen once she got to where she was going. "You need to sit your ass right back down in that chair. I'm warning you now-"

"Are you threatnin' her?" Daryl asked, keeping his voice in check because he didn't want the other man to know that he was getting to him.

Ed seemed to come to his own senses and glance around the table. Shane and Rick were both staring hard, daring him to make one wrong move. "No, I wasn't, but we all know what this is. She isn't going up to your room with you. All she's doing is trying to make me look bad in front of everyone here. She's using you to accomplish it is all. If you remember correctly, she didn't choose you back then. She chose me."

"Because he never offered," Carol cut in before Daryl could come to his own defense. "If he had, I would have never even considered you, Ed. You remember that. It's always been him. It always will be." Her voice was cold, her sharp gaze pinning the man to his chair and he had never seen her look more beautiful. "There is absolutely no comparison. You two aren't even the same species." With that she turned, storming away from the table.

All he had time to do was flash Ed a toothy grin before he was being pulled through the crowd again. She was in front of him, walking quickly towards the lobby, the light playing over the shimmery fabric of her dress in a way that somehow set her apart from any other woman. But it wasn't just the dress. It was her.

Once they slipped into the quiet space she stopped and spun around, her eyes searching his face. "Was this really just a ploy to piss Ed off?" she asked, a measure of uncertainty clear in her voice.

He shook his head. So what if his feelings for her made no sense. So what if they hadn't spoken to each other in more than a decade. What mattered was that he was here and he wasn't going anywhere and if she was willing to give him a chance he would prove to her that he had always been the better man.

"Why didn't you ever tell me?" she asked, catching him off guard because her wide blue eyes were wet, moisture clinging to her long lashes.

All of that bravado slipped away and once more he felt like that insecure teenager, the loner from the wrong side of the tracks, the guy who hadn't been ready to trust anyone just yet, not even her. "I told you not to be with him," he said, his voice low.

"I wanted _you_!"

He sighed. "Back then I didn't think anybody could, alright? I wasn't gonna come clean and tell you..." he wasn't going to tell her that he'd loved her, even though he had. He really had, and it had never went away, no matter what he had done to try to forget about her. "I wasn't gonna risk you throwin' it in my face," he finished.

She shook her head, quickly wiping a tear away that she hadn't managed to blink back. "I never would have done that."

He nodded. "I know that now."

"Do you?"

He decided that he should kiss her because they could spend all night talking circles around his obvious regret and it wouldn't do either of them any good. He cupped the side of her face and pulled her towards him and when his lips met hers a strange feeling of things finally falling into place filled him. Pieces fit together, _they_ fit together, a series of soft clicks in his mind and then he realized that he was finally where he was suppose to have been all along.

All of that was monumental and he filed it all away for later contemplation, because other things started to float to the surface of his thoughts. Things like, how her body molded to him, how the flimsy material of her dress, silk from the feel of it, wasn't near as soft and smooth as her skin. Her breasts heaved against his chest, fingers threading through his hair, pulling slightly as her mouth opened, inviting him in. He slid his hands down over the feminine flare of her hips and pulled her even closer. His tongue danced with hers and his head spun with endless possibilities.

She pulled away suddenly, her hands gripping his shoulders hard. "Your room," she breathed. "Now."

He glanced up towards the elevators and started backing her towards them. She grinned and then bit her lip hard and he had never seen such excitement in another person's eyes before. He knew the feeling. It was also a nice bonus that he knew Ed had seen them. Knew that the man was cursing Daryl to the pits of hell, and he didn't give a damn. He should have been thanking the idiot for messing it up with her, but instead, he just wanted to rub his face in it. He wanted Ed to know that Carol had been right. Ed couldn't compare.

He wasn't going to mention to her that he had purposefully booked the room right next to Ed's. Not because he knew that she would feel the same way about him as he did her, but a person never knew, and taunting the man was just too damn funny not to indulge a little.


	3. Chapter 3

**My internet is in and out due to rain but I'll have the last chapter up as soon as I can. More rain in the forecast and that always spells trouble for me when it comes to my connection. Hope you enjoyed this one and thanks for reading!**

 **Chapter Three**

She hated small spaces and the elevator was no exception, but she was finding it difficult to focus on her panic as he backed her against the wall. She grinned and grabbed his shirt, yanking him forward until his mouth was once more where it belonged, sealed firmly over hers. Maybe it was the wine, or maybe it was because she had never really gotten over him, but for some reason she couldn't get enough. All this time she had carried him around in a little locked room in her heart and now that door had been flung wide and he took up all the space there, refusing to be hidden away.

He was bunching up the hem of her skirt until his hands met the bare skin high on her thighs and she moaned into his mouth, the rough texture sending her blood soaring behind her ears. His hips were pressed against hers, trapping her against the wall and the way he was kissing her had her forgetting where she was. His work roughened hands kept moving up and she was powerless to think of a logical reason to make him stop.

She heard the telltale ding as the elevator came to a stop on their floor, heard the doors hiss open but the thought of stopping, even long enough to get to his room was unimaginable at this point. Ten years hadn't dimmed those feelings for him, the need to be with him like this, and now that he was finally here, willing and ready to actually make this happen, she wasn't going to stop him.

The doors hissed closed then and she felt the elevator moving once more, unable to even grasp whether it was going up or down. The kiss grew more frantic, both of them desperate and too hungry for one another to slow it down. He pushed against her harder, the evidence of his want pressing into her and she heard him groan, felt strong fingers dig into the flesh of her hips.

When the kiss broke his lips moved to her throat. She took in a much needed breath, closed her eyes and let her head fall back into the wall. His teeth nipped her skin and then his lips would work to sooth the sting away.

She hadn't heard the ding or the door slide open this time but she did hear the sound of a chuckle that had her eyes snapping open and Daryl's head coming up and looking over his shoulder. Rick, Shane, Lori, Andrea and Ed were all standing there, apparently they had been the ones to push the button for the elevator to head down. She felt her face flame and suddenly Daryl's hands let her skirt fall back into place. Ed was glowering but the others looked amused.

Lori raised a brow as she clung to Rick's arm. "You two couldn't make it thirty feet down the hall? Really?" Her tone was teasing and the others were all grinning but Ed was giving her a cold look that had the heat in her body turning to ice.

"Shit," Daryl grumbled, taking a cautious step away from her as the others filed into the small space. In one deft move he spun around, taking her with him until he was wedged in the corner and she was safely in front of him, her back now pressed to his chest. One arm went around her, his hand pressed flat to her stomach so she couldn't move away and she tried to hide a grin, knowing that he was using her as a shield so the others didn't have a full frontal view of the erection he was sporting.

"What'cha hidin' there, Dixon?" Shane asked as he pulled Andrea through the doors.

"Fuck off, Walsh," Daryl grumbled but he didn't loosen his hold on her or try to move out from behind her.

A few more familiar faces filed in and finally someone pushed the button for the third floor. That must have been where most of the reunion guests had gotten rooms. It was an odd feeling, standing there with so many people from her past. She felt as though it couldn't have been ten whole years since all of them had been in the same place. Just yesterday they had been walking the halls of the high school together. At least, that's how it seemed.

The only dark spot was Ed but even his presence couldn't distract her from the feel of the man behind her. And a part of her was glad that Ed was here. Glad that he could witness first hand what he had taken for granted for so long. Glad he knew that he had never been her first choice to begin with. And she was even glad that he would know who she was with tonight, because he really needed to get it out of his head that she would ever take him back.

Whatever happened between Daryl and herself, whether they had one hot passionate night together or if this was the start to something that would end up lasting a lifetime, she wanted her ex husband to understand that it would never ever be him, that she was miles past over it and he should move on.

"Hey," Rick said just before the doors opened up. "If you guys aren't ready to call it a night, you're more than welcome to head to our room for drinks."

Everyone else seemed interested but she felt Daryl pull her closer, like she needed to be reminded that he didn't want to go anywhere other than his own room. She completely agreed.

"Rain check," she said and then blushed furiously as the whole group glanced at her with knowing smiles. "But tomorrow I think we should all have lunch or something. It wouldn't hurt to keep in touch from now on. It's ridiculous that we never see one another."

Shane raised his beer bottle to that. "Agreed. How about you Ed? You wanna go out to lunch with the rest of us? See the after glow on your ex wife's face after Dixon is finished with her?"

Ed shoved past the man without a word.

Shane glanced around at the rest of them as they filed past him. "What? Was it something I said?"

Rick chuckled, shaking his head on his way past and Carol finally pulled away, reaching back and grabbing Daryl by the hand.

"Second to last room," he said, sounding a little breathless. The others disappeared into the first room, which must have been Rick and Lori's, but she kept walking towards the end of the hall. The rooms were on one side of the hall and the other side was a long row of tall windows looking out over the city. She would have stopped to enjoy the view if she hadn't been so damn eager to get to his room. They would have been there already if they hadn't gotten so worked up in the damn elevator. But they had, and then had to face their friends. It was almost comical, actually. They weren't teenagers. They were adults and it was perfectly normal for two adults that found one another attractive to get physical.

She stopped in front of the door and waited for him to reach around her with the card. She felt her stomach flutter with anticipation, her blood pounding hard in her veins as his eyes met hers before pushing open the door. She didn't give him time to do much else. She cupped his face, pulling him towards her until his lips were on hers. Fingers frantically working the buttons of his shirt open she moaned when he reached down, gripping her thighs and then lifting her off the floor until she had no choice but to wrap her legs around his waist.

Her skirt was hiked up to her waist, giving him easy access to the lace that covered her and he wasted no time moving his hands over her ass as he walked towards the bed. Or where she assumed the bed was, anyway. She hadn't gotten a good look at the room. She pushed his shirt open, finally able to run her hands over the well defined muscles, revel in the feel of his skin under her palms.

"You sure you wanna do this?" he asked after breaking the kiss.

She nodded eagerly and then cried out when he suddenly dropped her. She landed on her back on the foot of the bed, bouncing slightly and then she was grinning up at him as he shrugged off the shirt. She sat up on her elbows, watching as his fingers made quick work of his belt before he finally glanced up at her from under his brow.

She bit her lip as his eyes roamed over her hungrily. There was a lamp burning on one of the night tables but that was the only illumination and she wished she had thought to turn more lights on. She could easily get past her own insecurities if it meant that she would be able to see him better.

He grabbed her behind the knees and pulled her towards him before sliding his hands up and hooking his fingers through her panties, sliding them down her legs and then tossing them to the side. He reached for both of her hands and then pulled her up until she was standing in front of him once more. His hands finally slid behind her, tugging on the knot tied at the back of her neck.

"You ain't got any plans of makin' this some sort of one night stand, right?" he asked as his lips skimmed her shoulder.

She swallowed hard and shook her head. "Of course not," she tried to make her voice firm but it ended on a sigh as he started moving the dress down. She was hoping that he would want more and it felt good knowing that he really did. No one night stands, just the two of them together, finally, willing to see where all of this could go.

"Cause I didn't come back here just to screw you in a hotel room and that be that," he muttered, hands running down her sides, pushing the dress down.

He was quietly reassuring her that she wasn't being used but his words were wasted on her. "I already knew that. But you really could have thought of a better word than screw," she laughed lightly before she pressed her lips to the hollow between his collar bones. The dress fell, a whisper of silk that puddled around her feet.

"Ah, you want sweet talk and romance you came to the wrong man," he said as he spun them around and sat down on the bed. This put him eye level with her breasts. She watched as the iris slowly shrunk as his pupils dilated and then his mouth was on her, sucking hard and eliciting a gasp from her. He slid his arms around her and pulled her closer until she was standing between his thighs. The light touch of of his fingers a bold contrast to the sharp pull from his teeth on her sensitive flesh.

Long forgotten fantasies began rising to the surface of her mind, fantasies that she had guiltily conjured even after she had married another man, but none of them compared to this. His mouth was hot on her, his hands rough but gentle and she was shaking with need by the time he raised his head. When his eyes met hers she felt like her legs would give right there, but they held up and a million unspoken messages passed between them.

He stood up then and without a word she worked his pants open, reveling in the way his breathing became more erratic as she started pushing them away. As soon as his pants were kicked away he sat back down and pulled her down with him.

She was straddling his lap, gripping his shoulders hard and not knowing what to expect. She definitely didn't expect what happened next, which was his body to grow tense and a curse escape him. She pulled back slightly meeting his eyes.

"How pissed off you gonna be when I tell you that I ain't got any protection?" he asked, breathlessly.

She smiled. "This may sound naive but I'm sure you'll be honest. Are you clean?"

He nodded eagerly and she knew he wouldn't lie about something like that.

"Me too. And I have another few years before I have to worry about birth control again."

Without another word he pulled her face down to his, gripped her hips and moved into her. Her breath exploded from her lungs, her arms went around his neck as her forehead dropped to his shoulder. The fit was perfect but this didn't come as a surprise to her. What did was the emotional rush that filled her chest and caused tears to prick her eyes. She felt ridiculous, but she couldn't help it. The physical pleasure was beyond anything she could have imagined but the way he filled her went far deeper than she wanted to admit.

She tested the waters, rolling her hips over him experimentally and smiled to herself when he growled low in his chest, the sound sending a thrill up her spine. He moved with her, his arms banding around her like he was afraid she would slip away if he didn't hold on tight enough.

~H~

He was in serious trouble. More than he could have imagined. They moved together, slow but precise, learning one another instead of racing towards an end and that was fine with him. There was no end game here, not with her, and he was eager to explore everything she had to offer. She shifted, her legs wrapping around his waist and she leaned back slightly, meeting his heated gaze with an intensity that had his heart clenching strangely in his chest.

The moment stretched on until her mouth claimed his and that was when he heard it. The sound of footsteps, barely penetrating the haze of his mind.

Had he closed the door? He didn't know and he couldn't bring himself to care at the moment because everything outside of her was unimportant. It solidified how monumental this moment really was. He knew who would be spying, if indeed someone was, and maybe it was something the man needed to bear witness to. Because she had never belonged to anyone else to begin with. Right now she was where she was suppose to have been all along.

Time may have sped up, or stopped altogether, he wasn't sure, but he felt her body tense in his arms and then heard her whisper his name, sounding further away than it should have. Her forehead dropped to his and her legs tightened around him right before she cried out, gripping his shoulders so hard he felt her nails break the skin.

He didn't want this to be over yet but her body was trembling, muscles coiling around him, dragging him deeper as she gave in to her release and there was no way he could have held on. He had to let go of her, one hand slamming down on the bed, fisting the blanket in his grip and his jaw clenched painfully as he let go. The pleasure was raw, undeniably the most intense thing he had ever experience thus far in his life, and it suited the moment. Nothing about tonight had been exactly what he had expected.

Coming down took a while, considering that every time an aftershock of pleasure shot through her he felt it, but eventually she relaxed against him and he was able to let go of the blanket that he had surely damaged in his fist, so he could move his hands over her again.

Her eyes were heavy lidded, her smile lazy. "So, that's what good sex feels like, huh?"

The comment caught him off guard and he grinned before tracing her throat with his tongue. Her fingers threaded through his hair and he heard a contented sigh escape her before his lips found hers.

"What? You think we're finished here?" he asked when his lips left hers to trail over her jaw. He felt her body shiver against his. "Got a lot of time to make up for."

She laughed, a low throaty sound that almost caused him to groan. "Agreed."

He finally pulled back, leaning back on his elbows as she unwound her legs from around his waist, balancing on her knees with her hands planted on his chest. He jerked his chin towards the door. "Might wanna close that, though. I think Ed might finally get the point now but round two is all mine. No pryin' eyes."

She gasped, turning her head to stare at the door that was, indeed, cracked. "He was out there?"

Daryl shrugged. "Could have been."

"Why didn't you say something?" she asked, crossing her arms over her chest.

"I was preoccupied," he said lazily.

She pressed her lips together firmly and then slid off of him. He watched her as she strolled towards the door, not bothering to cover herself at all. He scooted back until he could stretch out, pulling the rumpled blanket up to his hips and folding his arms behind his head. She shut the door and turned to him, her eyes narrowed.

"Did you do that on purpose?" she asked suspiciously.

He grinned but shook his head. "Nope, but I ain't too sad about it. He needs to know."

"To know what?" she asked, sliding in next to him.

"That you're mine," he said simply.

She grinned up at him as he rolled over onto her, settling between her legs. "Is that so? You don't think that I'm my own person, Dixon? I'm not some object that can be owned, you know," she said, her tone matter of fact.

He hummed in agreement but still, she was his.


	4. Chapter 4

**Okay, this is it. It was fun to write and I appreciate all of you for giving it a go. Now I'll move on and try my hand at finishing something else. lol Thanks for reading =)**

 **Chapter Four**

He was surprised that so many people from the reunion had actually booked rooms at the hotel but as they stepped outside the lot was brimming with cars and a lot of people from last night were huddled in groups, saying their goodbyes.

"I'm the only person still wearing the same thing I came here in," she grumbled, her grip on his hand, tightening.

He glanced down and tried to smother a grin but he wasn't successful. "I don't think anybody cares what you were up to last night."

"Oh my God," she said, stopping in her tracks, her eyes widening. "My car! I bet they-"

"Already made a call. Somebody picked it up last night. It's already fixed."

She blinked and then she frowned. "Daryl, you didn't have to do that. Of course, I'll pay for the tow and the-"

"Shut up," he snorted, cutting her off and pulling her along.

"I mean it, just because you're some big shot business owner doesn't mean that you have to do things for me that-"

He laughed. "Big shot, huh? I fix cars, Carol. That sure as hell don't make a man a big shot. And if that's what I do, why wouldn't I fix your damn car for free?"

Her frown deepened. "It isn't the same."

He sighed. "Okay, so, when you invite me over to your place for dinner, you gonna have me pay for the meal before I leave?"

Her expression never changed. If anything, she grew more pensive, her brows pulling together. "Of course not. You'll stay over and work off the charge."

He stared at her, waiting for her to crack but he couldn't hold in his laugh for long. She was good. "Fair enough. You can pay me back. Course, it might kill you to work off a debt that big in one go so I'll let you take care of it in installments."

"Mutual favor trading for goods and services, huh? I kind of like that idea. It makes this relationship a little nasty. In a good way of course."

He chuckled at that and threw an arm over her shoulder before they started towards his truck. He spotted the group before she did and he couldn't help the smug smile on his face when his eyes met Ed's. Rick seen them and waved, calling them over.

"Jesus, doesn't he know that none of them like him? Why is he lurking?" she grumbled as they veered off.

"Keepin' tabs on you is my guess."

"He's so gross."

"You married him."

"Shut up."

"You two have a good time last night?" Shane asked once they made it to the others.

Carol flushed but Daryl couldn't help himself. He had to call him out. "Ask Ed. He watched."

Carol made a strangled sound in the back of her throat and Ed glared.

"I don't know what the hell you're talking about," he spat.

Daryl grinned, pulling her further into his side. "You're a sick son of a bitch, you know that?"

The rest of them, once they got over their initial shock, started laughing and Ed, once again, turned that unhealthy shade of purple before he turned on his heel and stormed off. Tormenting the man was fun, sure, and Ed deserved it, but he couldn't help but to be a little worried. Ed had been publicly humiliated ever since the previous night and Daryl knew he had a mean streak. Sure, he knew that Ed wouldn't ever go toe to toe with him, but that didn't mean that he might not try to hurt Carol if the opportunity every arose. He watched the man go, wondering how hard it would be to talk her into spending all her free time with him so Ed wouldn't be an issue.

"He didn't," Lori said, her eyes wide.

Daryl realized now that he had let his big mouth make them the center of attention, and not for the first time, but he hadn't been able to keep his mouth shut. He had hated Ed Peletier since the day he had met him. "I wasn't sure but now I am. Nasty bastard," he muttered, not looking back at the others until Ed, spinning tires furiously, pulled out of the parking lot.

"Keep an eye on him," Rick said, sounding worried.

"Plan on it," Daryl said, glancing down at Carol who looked like she really just wanted to get away from the knowing looks. "Anyway, we gotta go."

Shane grinned. "Yeah, you got yourself a garage to run. You know Dale left you a mess of paperwork. You need to hire a couple of folks just to get that sorted. I don't envy you, Dixon."

This, at least, gave him an idea, if she would go for it. "Yeah, tell me about it. That man's heart was in the right place but damn if he didn't suck at his job."

Rick rolled his eyes. "I already know. That's how you got such a good deal. He was running it into the ground."

They spent a few more minutes with the group, making plans for the following weekend to get together at Rick's for a cook out, and then they finally found themselves in the truck, heading towards home. Or what would be home as soon as Daryl got his granddad's old place livable.

"I thought you were staying at the hotel until you were able to move into your old family home?" she asked, sitting closer than she needed to, her nails tracing patterns on his forearm.

He shrugged. "Plenty of motels where we're goin'. Cheaper too."

She glanced up at him but he kept his eyes on the road. "You know, you could stay with me until you get it ready. If you wanted." She sounded hesitant, like she expected him to blow off her offer.

"What, me and you in Ed's house?" he made a face but then he grinned. "Goddamn, that would really burn his ass, wouldn't it?" If she was serious then he would do it. He didn't like the thought of her being alone at night. Not now that Ed was this pissed. He should have thought about that before taunting the man.

She smiled. "It would. But I was planning on selling the house anyway. It isn't like it holds any good memories for me. It would be nice to have a fresh start."

He nodded.

"Would you want to?" she asked after a few long silent moments.

He wanted to and she needed to know it. She needed to know everything. "Yeah, I want to. You're the whole goddamn reason I came back here at all."

"And you don't feel like we're moving too fast?"

He braked at a red light and finally looked at her, meeting her eyes. "No. I don't. Everyone else might but fuck them. They ain't us."

She smiled, her eyes bright. "We haven't seen one another in ten years. What if it doesn't work?" The smile faded and she looked down.

For a brief moment he was worried. Maybe she didn't want the same things he did but then he threw those thoughts right out the window. He knew her better than that, no matter how much time had slipped away. She was scared, and that was fine. It only meant that he had to do everything he could to make sure she knew that this was the right thing. This was real and it always had been.

"We'll be alright," he said, hoping that she would let go and accept it for what it was soon.

"I probably sound as crazy as you do, but I think you're right. I meant what I said last night. It's always been you."

He didn't need to look at her because he could hear the emotion in her voice, just like he could feel it in the room the night before, the unspoken didn't need to be voiced because they both knew it was there.

"So, we're really doing this?" she asked.

He could hear the smile in her tone. "Yep."

"And to think, I seriously considered skipping the whole thing last night."

He grinned. "That would have been a damn shame, but I'd have come to your damn house eventually anyway."

"I'm gonna make an honest man of you, Dixon."

He grabbed her hand, pulling her closer and she eagerly slid across the seat. "You think?"

"Oh, yeah. I have a few tricks up my sleeve."

Before he could respond with a quip of his own he felt her hand high on his thigh. Instantly his body responded to her proximity and she must have noticed because he heard a small laugh escape her.

"Shut it," he muttered.

She pressed her lips to the bare skin of his bicep but he felt her lips turn up. "Shutting it."

He smiled, shaking his head. He knew they were going to make it. Today was gonna be a damn good day and from here on out, he was gonna make sure that both of them were gonna have a damn good life. They had both waited too damn long to have it any other way.

"I love you," she said, her voice low. "Is that strange after all this time?"

He shook his head. "It's what got us here." And it was the truth, but knowing she felt it and hearing her say it were two different things. "I love you too."

"I know."

He glanced down, meeting her eyes. "Good."

She flashed him an easy grin and then rested her head on his shoulder.


End file.
